Prosecutors
Is New St. Louis Prosecutor Falling Short as Reformer?
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St. Louis chief prosecutor Kim Gardner campaigned as a criminal justice reformer, but “her approach has been, when in doubt, lock them up,” says a recently departed staff member.
Courts
Louisiana to Vote on Jim Crow-Era Split-Jury Law
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Louisiana is the only state to allow nonunanimous verdicts in murder trials, which critics say has helped convict minority defendants in questionable cases. Voters on Nov. 6 will have a chance to require unanimous verdicts in felony cases.
Courts
Defenders Use Texting Services to Remind Clients
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A firm called Uptrust is providing an enhanced messaging service to several public defender offices. Failure-to-appear rates have dropped from 15-20 percent to 5-6 percent, the company says.
Sentencing
Dozens Serve Life Terms for Pot ‘Conspiracies’
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About 50 inmates have faced lifelong sentences for nonviolent conspiracies involving marijuana. Under federal law, defendants can be held responsible for all crimes that were “reasonably foreseeable” in a conspiracy.
Wrongful Convictions
States Have Paid $2.2 Billion to Exonerees
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The National Registry of Exonerations (NRE) will soon publish the second part of a study of all known false convictions in the U.S. since 1989. The 2,265 exonerees in the database served a combined 20,080 years behind bars.
Pretrial Release
Could New CA Bail Law Doom $2 Billion National Industry?
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Reform in California, which holds about a quarter of the market, could prompt other states to take similar action, bail groups and lobbyists said. Bail associations are seeking signatures to put on the ballot a referendum in an attempt to block the law.
Prosecutors
Prosecution Reform: A Win in Boston, Losses in CA
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Rachael Rollins, who won last week’s primary for district attorney in Boston, ran on ending “mass incarceration.” Reformers have won in other major cities but lost three races in California.
Supreme Court
Kavanaugh Hearings Wrap Up with Outsiders’ Testimony
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The American Bar Association says Kavanaugh is well-qualified and that he has great skill in clearly explaining complicated legal issues in opinions. The Congressional Black Caucus and former White House counsel John Dean are among opponents.
Prosecutors
VA Requiring Prosecutors To Give Defense More Info
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The Virginia Supreme Court amended the state’s rules of criminal procedure to require prosecutors to allow defendants to review — but not copy — all relevant police reports in a case and all witness statements. Chief Justice Donald Lemons said, “It was long overdue.”
Courts
Kavanaugh’s Gun Control Views ‘Outside Mainstream Thought’: Sen. Feinstein
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Setting the stage for the first day of hearings on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told Kavanaugh: “it’s pretty clear that your views go well beyond simply being ‘pro-gun.'” Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing continues on Wednesday.